Guilty Pleas From 4 Electrical Union Workers In Federal Case

PHILADELPHIA — Four members of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers pleaded guilty in federal court to various crimes, such as embezzlement, wire fraud, and more.

United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero Michael Neill, 56, Marita Crawford, 53, Niko Rodriguez, 31, and Brian Fiocca, 31, all of Philadelphia pleaded guilty this week to federal charges arising from their personal use of the assets of Local 98 in ways that did not benefit the membership of Local 98 as a whole, including embezzlement of labor union assets, wire fraud, and theft from a union employee benefit plan.

The four are members of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.

All four were charged with former Local 98 Business Manager John Dougherty, who is set to stand trial with codefendant Brian Burrows, President of Local 98, on similar charges, in January 2023.

Neill served as the Training Director of Local 98’s Apprentice Training Fund.

He pleaded guilty to four counts of embezzlement of labor union assets, one count of theft from a union employee benefit plan, and one count of making and subscribing to a false federal income tax return.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7, 2023.

Crawford served as Local 98’s Political Director.

She pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud, the object of which was to obtain money and property from Local 98 by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises.

She is scheduled to be sentenced on April 4, 2023.

Rodriguez was employed by Local 98’s Apprentice Training Fund and by Local 98.

He pleaded guilty to six counts of embezzlement of labor union assets.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 4, 2023.

Fiocca was employed by Local 98 as an office employee.

He pleaded guilty to six counts of embezzlement of labor union assets.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 6, 2023.

The Indictment returned in January 2019 alleges that from April 2010 through August 2016, defendants Dougherty, Burrows, Neill, Crawford, Rodriguez, Fiocca and others conspired and agreed to embezzle, steal, and convert to their use and the use of others, the funds, property, and other assets of Local 98 and of the Apprentice Training Fund, in violation of the IBEW constitution, the by-laws of Local 98, the interests of the members of Local 98, and federal law.